Sealing of Records

Sealing criminal records protects your privacy by preventing the public from having access to the sealed records.

Not all records can be sealed. Here are some examples of records that may be sealed:

If a case is completely dismissed, the arrest and case records may be sealed with the exception of traffic charges.

If you successfully complete a deferred judgment and sentence and you were not required to plead guilty to another charge as part of the plea bargain, the arrest and case records may be sealed with the exception of traffic charges.

Certain types of drug convictions may be sealed after a period of time if certain conditions have been met.

Municipal convictions may be sealed after a period of time if certain conditions have been met.

Regardless of the type of record to be sealed, it does not happen automatically. To seal records, a petition to seal must be filed with the court. After the petition is filed, the court may require a hearing to decide whether to grant the request to seal the records. After a case is sealed, various agencies must be informed of the sealing and it is the petitioner’s responsibility to notify the agencies.